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J. H. McCONNELL.

COMBINED HAY RAKE AND PRESS? No. 247,383. Patented Sept. 20,1881.

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ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. F'holo L||hn n hor h Ian D UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. MQOONNELL, or PULTNE'Y,N'EW YORK.

COMBINED HAY RAKE AND PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 247,383, dated September 20, 1881, Application filed March 28, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. MoOoNNELL, of Pultney, in the county of Steuben and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Combined Hay Rake and Press, of which the following is a specification. Figure 1 is a top view of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same, taken through the line a: m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section of the same, taken through the line y 3 Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to furnish an improved machine for collecting hay and pressing it into loose bales or bundles, so that it can be much more easily handled, and which shall be simple in construction and convenient in use.

A are the wheels, which revolve upon the journals of the axle B.

To the inner ends of the hubs of the wheels A, or to plates attached to the said hubs, are pivoted pawls O, which engage with the teeth of the ratchet-wheels D, attached to the axle B, so that the said wheels, when turned forward, may carry the said axle with them in their revolution. The axle B revolves in bearings attached to the upper forward corners of the box E. The box E is made with open top and ends. The rear part of the box E is provided with a board, F, rigidly attached to its upper edges.

To the rear upper corners of the box E are hinged the upper corners of a gate, G, which is held in place, when closed, by a spring-catch, H, attached to the bottom of the box E.

To bearings attached to'the lower forward corners of the box E are pivoted the ends of the shaft I, which is provided with rake-teeth 'J, in the usual way.

To one end of the shaft I is rigidly attached a crank-arm, K, to the end of which is pivoted the forward end of the connecting-rod L. The rear end of the connecting-rod L is pivoted to the lever M, the lower end of which is pivoted to the lower part of the side of the box E. The upper part ofthe lever M passes through a long notched keeper, N, attached to the upper part of the side of the box E, so that the said lever may be held in any desired position. By operating the lever M the rake-teeth J may be adusted into any desired position.

To the rear part of the bottom of the box E is pivoted the standard 0 of the caster-wheel P, so as to support the said box E in an inclined position.

To the axle B is attached a gear-wheel, Q, the teeth of which mesh into the teeth of a smaller gear-wheel, R, attached to the shaft S. The shaft S is placed parallel with the axle B and works in bearings attached to the box E.

To the ends of the shaft S are attached, or upon them are formed, cranks T, which pass through longitudinal slots in the short arms of the elbow-levers U. The elbow-levers U are pivoted at their angles to the axle B, upon which they ride.

To the ends of the long arms of the elbowlevers U are pivoted the forward ends of the con meeting-rods V, the rear ends of which are pivoted to the upper part of the arms or blocks W. The blocks W are attached to the bars X, that slide in grooves or ways in the inner surface of the upper parts of the sides of the box E.

To the forward and rear parts of the slides X are pivoted the ends of the shafts Y, to which are attached teeth Z, of such a length as to reach nearly to the bottom of the box E.

To the slides X are attached stops X, for the shafts Y to strike against and prevent the teeth Z from swinging forward past a vertical position. I

To the forward parts of the bearings for the axle B is coupled the tongue A, to which the draft is applied.

With this construction, as the machine is drawn forward the rake I J gathers the hay, and the rakes Y Z, as they move forward, pass over it, and as they move to the rearward they push it back and pack it against the gate G and top board, F. When a sufficient quantity has been packed against the gate G and the top board, F, the said gate is unfastened and the bundle or bale is allowed to drop to the ground.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination of the two sliding pivoted rakesY Z and their slides X with the inclined box E, having a rake, I J, attached to its forward end, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The combination of the gear-wheels Q R,

the shaft S, the cranks T, the elbow-levers U,

and the connecting-rods V with theaxle B, the inclined box E, and the slides X, that carry the two pivoted rakes Y Z, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. The combination, with the inclined box IE, having the top board, F, the latch-gate G at the rear end, and the rake I J at the front end, of the movable rakes Y Z, arranged to pass JAMES H. MCCONNELL.

Witnesses:

JAS. A. BENNETT, M. F. WARFIELD. 

